Comp and Coffee

Latest Episodes:

We have an announcement... Apr 21, 2026

Show notes

Recorded live from WorldatWork Total Rewards 2026 in San Antonio, this special episode of Comp and Coffee gives you an inside look at the launch of Payscale Intelligence Cloud.

Host Ruth Thomas is joined by Chief People Officer Lexi Clarke to share what they are hearing on the ground, including a key insight that 54% of practitioners are struggling with disconnected tools, systems, and processes, and what that means for the future of compensation.

They explore how compensation is evolving from a behind the scenes function into a strategic, always on business lever. You will hear how Payscale Intelligence Cloud is built to support that shift with a unified experience across stakeholders, richer data including skills and demand insights, solutions that scale with your maturity journey, and contextual intelligence to help you make better pay decisions in real time.

The conversation also covers the growing importance of pay transparency, the expanding role of HR teams in compensation, and why stronger alignment with finance is becoming essential to driving business impact.

If you are navigating complexity, data overload, or the pressure to make faster and more defensible pay decisions, this episode is for you.

Grab a coffee and tune in.

Pay equity isn't dead Mar 25, 2026

Show notes

The gender pay gap has widened.

New data from the 2026 Gender Pay Gap Report shows the uncontrolled gender pay gap increased from $0.83 to $0.82, meaning women earn 18% less than men on average. That difference translates to $14,300 per year in lost earnings, and over $1 million across a career.

At the same time, organizations are navigating a new era of pay transparency legislation, tighter compensation budgets, and growing scrutiny around fairness in pay practices.

So what does pay equity actually look like in 2026?

In this episode of Comp and Coffee, Ruth Thomas is joined by Vicky Peakman, Founder of Fair Pay Partners, and Lulu Seikaly, Senior Corporate Attorney, to unpack what the latest gender pay gap data really means and why transparency and equity are now inseparable.

Together they explore why the uncontrolled gap still persists, where inequities show up most clearly across careers and industries, and how organizations can move beyond compliance to build compensation strategies that are both equitable and sustainable.

This conversation looks at the legal landscape, the operational realities inside organizations, and the strategic choices leaders must make if they want pay transparency to strengthen trust rather than expose gaps.

Episode resources:

2026 Gender Pay Gap Report: https://www.payscale.com/featured-content/gender-pay-gap
HR’s 2026 Guide to Pay Equity: https://www.payscale.com/research-and-insights/hr-2026-guide-to-pay-equity
Email: coffee@payscale.com for listener questions and suggestions

The hidden cost of peanut butter pay Mar 15, 2026

Show notes

When budgets shrink, performance pay is put to the test.

The 2026 Compensation Best Practices Report tells a clear story: budgets are tighter, bonuses are shrinking, and organizations are reaching for simpler pay strategies to get through the year.

Today we're exploring what happens when compensation decisions prioritize administrative ease over strategic intent — and what leaders can do about it.

In this episode of Comp and Coffee, Ruth Thomas is joined by Founder of Payformance Partners Marc Mullis and People Operations leader at Leapfrog, Brittany Vogel to explore how organizations can maintain performance differentiation, employee trust, and retention in an era of tiny budgets.

This conversation goes beyond theory. It examines how leaders are creatively rethinking frequency versus size of rewards, leveraging non-base pay tools, strengthening communication, and avoiding the long-term consequences of oversimplified pay strategies.

Episode Resources:

2026 Compensation Best Practices Report: https://www.payscale.com/featured-content/cbpr

Your insights matter and shape the future of work. Participate in the 2027 Compensation Best Practices Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/cbprsignup

Email: coffee@payscale.com for listener questions and suggestions

When pay research speaks: What HR and compensation leaders need to know now Feb 24, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Comp and Coffee, Ruth Thomas sits down with Stacey Harris, Chief Research Officer at Sapient Insights Group, and Amy Stewart, Payscale’s Manager of Content & Research, to unpack how HR and compensation leaders can turn data into strategic, defensible decisions.

We explore the latest research on HR systems, compensation trends, and the growing role of AI in pay and talent management. Stacey shares insights from the 28th annual HR Systems Survey, highlighting the tension HR leaders face between driving growth and managing costs, navigating workforce shifts, and understanding mid-market versus enterprise trends. Amy provides a sneak peek at Payscale’s 2026 Compensation Best Practices Report, including pay increase trends, “peanut butter” pay practices, and strategies for retaining top talent while controlling costs.

Key takeaways include:

Data-driven decision making: Use multiple validated data sources to interpret trends and avoid overreacting to headlines.
Strategic compensation: Confidence in pay offers and total rewards is critical, especially in uncertain markets.
Technology & AI: AI is transforming compensation strategy, enabling smarter market pricing and strategic insights—but trust and validated data remain essential.
HR as a business partner: Compensation isn’t just an HR function; it’s a strategic lever that should inform enterprise-level decisions and connect to business outcomes.

Whether you’re evaluating HR tech, managing tight budgets, or planning for AI integration, this episode provides practical guidance for leaders who want to leverage research to make smarter, more strategic decisions in 2026.

Episode resources:

Sapient Insights Group HR Systems Survey Report: https://bit.ly/4rB1zos
Payscale 2026 Salary Increase Preview Report: https://bit.ly/3NWIQ8a
Payscale Salary Budget Survey: https://bit.ly/4qYwlaD
Payscale Pay Trends and Market Pricing Research: https://bit.ly/4kj5hk4
Email: coffee@payscale.com for listener questions and suggestions

The business impact of confident pay Feb 24, 2026

Show notes

Pay decisions do not live in isolation. They shape hiring speed, retention, employee trust, and ultimately business performance.

According to Payscale’s 2026 Compensation Best Practices Report, 63% of organizations believe their compensation policies drive positive business outcomes. That confidence shows up in measurable ways, including lower voluntary turnover, faster time to fill, and stronger employee sentiment.

In this episode of Comp and Coffee, Ruth Thomas brings together leaders from across Payscale’s people, research, and total rewards teams to unpack what “pay confidence” really means, how organizations are building it in a constrained market, and why compensation is increasingly being treated as core business infrastructure rather than an HR function of last resort.

This conversation moves beyond theory to explore how confident pay decisions are made today, how they are being tested by flat increases, AI, and misinformation, and how leaders can connect pay strategy directly to outcomes executives care about.

Speakers:

Ruth Thomas – Chief Compensation Strategist, Payscale

Amy Stewart – Manager, Research and Insights, Payscale

Brittni Beers-Branco – VP of People, Payscale

Lauren Hein – Head of Total Rewards, Payscale

Episode Resources:

2026 Compensation Best Practices Report: https://www.payscale.com/featured-content/cbpr?utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin&utm_campaign=cnt_awr_2026-cbpr-podcast_wv_fls&utm_content=2026-cbpr-podcast_rpt_pst

Your insights matter and shape the future of work. Participate in the 2027 Compensation Best Practices Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/cbprsignup

Email: coffee@payscale.com for listener questions and suggestions

What's in and out for HR and compensation in 2026: Predictions, opportunities, and challenges Jan 20, 2026

Show notes

HR and compensation leaders are facing a new set of challenges and opportunities in 2026. From new pay transparency laws to AI-driven decision-making, the landscape is shifting fast. This episode unpacks what is in and what is out for the year ahead and explores the trends that will define the future of work.

Email: coffee@payscale.com for listener questions and suggestions.
Payscale End-of-Year report and HR Predictions: https://www.payscale.com/featured-content/end-of-year-top-jobs-report?utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin&utm_campaign=cnt_awr_eoyreport_wv&utm_content=eoyreport_pst
Compensation translator: https://www.payscale.com/research-and-insights/your-compensation-translator?utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin&utm_campaign=cnt_awr_comptranslator-asset_wv&utm_content=compensation-translator-asset
2026 Pay increase report – https://www.payscale.com/featured-content/2026-salary-increases-preview?utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin&utm_campaign=cnt_awr_payincreasereport_wv&utm_content=payincreasereport_pst

Lost in translation: How HR, finance, legal, and leadership can finally speak the same language about pay Jan 05, 2026

Show notes

Everyone agrees that pay matters. What they do not agree on is what it means.
HR talks about fairness and equity.
Finance talks about cost and ROI.
Legal talks about compliance and defensibility.
Leaders talk about performance and business outcomes.

These perspectives are all correct, yet they often conflict. When they collide, compensation decisions lose clarity, employees feel confused, and managers deliver mixed messages—leaving HR as the translator.

In this episode, Ruth Thomas is joined by Hannah Beaver, Director of Compensation at Trilogy Health Services, and Kim O’Grady, Compensation Supervisor at Designer Brands. Together, they break down how organizations can turn pay into a shared language that builds trust, alignment, and credibility from the C-suite to the front line.

Episode resources:

Email: coffee@payscale.com for listener questions and suggestions.
Compensation translator: https://www.payscale.com/research-and-insights/your-compensation-translator?utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin&utm_campaign=cnt_awr_comptranslator-asset_wv&utm_content=compensation-translator-asset

Pay transparency again? What you actually need to know for 2026 Nov 13, 2025

Show notes

Another conversation about pay transparency? We know what you are thinking, haven’t we already covered this?

But the truth is, 2025 changed everything. From a wave of new state laws in the U.S. to Canada and the EU rewriting the playbook, pay transparency has moved from policy talk to daily reality. With 2026 around the corner, the stakes are only getting higher.

In this episode of Comp and Coffee, host Ruth Thomas sits down with Vicky Peakman, Director at Fair Pay Partners, and Lulu Seikaly, Senior Corporate Attorney at Payscale, to unpack the year’s biggest developments and what is coming next.

Episode resources:

2025 – 2026 Salary budget survey - https://www.payscale.com/featured-content/salary-budget-survey-sbs?utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin&utm_campaign=cnt_awr_payforperformance-blog_wv&utm_content=payforperformance-blog_sia

Your voice deserves to be heard! Participate in this year’s compensation best practices survey - https://www.research.net/r/CBPR26Coffee

Email: coffee@payscale.com for listener questions and suggestions.

AI overload? What HR Tech 2025 got right (and wrong) Nov 07, 2025

Show notes

At HR Tech 2025, AI stole the spotlight, but not everyone was convinced. Amid the hype and bold claims, HR and compensation professionals were asking tougher questions: What’s actually working? What’s just marketing? And how can AI really make their jobs easier?

In this episode of Comp and Coffee, host Ruth Thomas sits down with Peh Keong Teh, Chief Product Officer at Payscale, Olivia Sedler, Product Manager at Payscale, and Mark Feffer, contributing analyst at 3Sixty Insights and editor of WorkforceAI.News and HCM Technology Report. Together, they cut through the noise from HR Tech, unpack what vendors got right and wrong, and discuss where AI can and cannot move the needle for HR and comp leaders today.

Episode Resources:

Pay trends report - https://www.payscale.com/featured-content/pay-trends-report
How AI is reshaping your workforce - https://www.payscale.com/compensation-trends/how-ai-is-reshaping-your-workforce
AI 101 - https://www.payscale.com/compensation-trends/ai-101-the-hr-and-compensation-starter-p[…]gn=brd_ai-blog-engagement_wv&utm_content=data_blg_ai-101_pst
AI Webinar - https://www.payscale.com/research-and-insights/how-ai-is-reshaping-pay-decisions-on-d[…]ement_wv&utm_content=data_wbn-o_how-ai-is-reshaping-comp_pst
Email: coffee@payscale.com for listener questions and suggestions

The most important pay conversations you're not having Nov 03, 2025

Show notes

In a year of tight budgets and increasing expectations of pay transparency, pay conversations are more critical than ever. Skipping, delaying, or diluting these conversations can erode trust and leave employees disengaged. In this episode of Comp and Coffee, host Ruth Thomas is joined by Payscale leaders to explore the “compensation telephone game,” share how HR trains managers to deliver clear messages, and discuss strategies for keeping the right talent engaged in a volatile environment.

Guests: